Symposium to explore indigenity, caste, belonging and folk life in South Asian contexts

HONOLULU - The UH-Manoa Center for South Asian Studies' 24th Annual Spring Symposium themed, "Roots and Branches: Articulations of Longing and Belonging in South Asian Contexts," is set for April 12 and April 13 in the Center for Korean Studies Auditorium. The symposium, which is free and open to the public, will explore expressions of indigenity, folk life, cast, locatedness, and belonging in contemporary South Asia.

The program will feature three invited lecturers, three panels, and two cultural events. Sadhana Naithani, a folklorist and scholar of comparative literature based in the School of Language, Literature, and Cultural Studies at Jawaharlal Nehru University, will speak on folk cultural practices and modernity. Adnan Morshed, a scholar of architecture and architecture theory based at The Catholic University, will speak on structures of empowerment and hyper-traditionalism within the Grameen Bank housing program in Bangladesh. Chinnaiah Jangam, a historian and scholar of anti-caste movements and theories, will speak on nationalism and dalits in India (Dalits are the so-called Indian "untouchable" castes).